Gripper-fed platen printing-machine.



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GRIPPER-FED PLATEN PRINTING-MACHINE.

To all whom 25 may concern.'

Be it known that I, FRED VVAITE, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Otley, near Leeds, inthe county of York, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gripper-Fed Platen Printing-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to gripper-fed platen printing machines, and particularly to the means employed in connection with such machines for supporting the front edge of the fed sheet until it is taken by the grippers.

According to my invention I form the front edge of the feed plate with, or iiX to the said front edge of the feed plate, a thin front extension reaching approximately up to the feed gage, and the front edge of such extension is serrated so as to present a series of shallow angular projections; in other words triangular spaces are cut in the front edge of the extension and thus not only are spaces formed through which the grippers of the machine are free to pass when taking the sheet of paper from the feed plate, but also the inclined wide angled sides of the projections are such as to enable the fed sheet to be freely moved sidewise or transversely up to the side stop or to be moved transversely by a moving side stop for obtaining register, and this without disturbing the fiat position of the sheet.

In such machines it has already been proposed to employ feed plates, the front edges of which are formed with rectangular teeth, that is to say, extending teeth the sides of which are at right angles to the front edge, but the said side edges of such teeth are liable to catch the edge of the paper sheet during side adjustment and disturb its fiat position; and with such a construction it has been suggested that the toothed front edge of the feed plate shall consist of a separate part and be hinged to the feed plate proper. Now with the angular projections according to the present invention the sheet can be adjusted by a side movement without disturbing its flat position, owing to the forward end of the said sheet being transversed over an angular support, while at the same time the sheet is effectually supported along its front edge without interfering with the action of the grippers.

It will be seen that by providing the feed plate with the above described extension ac- Speciication of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 26, i916.

Application filed February 17, 1916. Serial No. 78,867.

cording to this invention and using the usual smoothers above the sheet to prevent the sheet bending in an upward direction, even a thin sheet of paper can be eifectually controlled at its front edge without any tendency to bend or buckle; and further, that during the side movement of the sheet up to the side stop or during the side adjustment effected by a moving side stop, the saidV sheet will be kept perfectly horizontal throughout lsuch movement.

The serrated extension plate above described may be secured to the front edge of the feed plate, in such a manner as to render it readily removable, vas said plate would not be necessary say in the case where the machine is required for printing on cards which require no frontal support.

The invention will now be described with reference to the example of vconstruction shown in the accompanying drawings; wherein Figure l is a side elevation and Fig. 2 a plan view of the feed plate of a gripperfed platen printing machine, fitted with an extension plate in accordance with my invention. Fig. 8 is a sectional side elevation taken on the line A-B of Fig. 2, and Fig. 4L is a sectional side elevation taken on the line C-D of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings, l is the feed plate and 2 is the feed gage.

3 are ball smoothers secured to the feed plate l through the medium of a carryingrod 4 and fixing-brackets 5, and 6 is the side stop; all of ordinary construction.

According to my invention, the feed plate 1 is provided with a thin extension plate 7 which is removably secured to its underside through the medium of a transverse fixing-bar 8 and set-screws 9 at the ends so as to extend over the gap 10 between the feed plate 1 and the feed gage 2, which fiat extension plate 7 is cut along its outer edge into shallow angular projections 7x whose apices come near the feed gage 2 while the wide angled V-shaped lgaps 7y between the projections 7x of the said plate 7 constitute spaces through which the grippers of the machine (not shown) are free to pass when taking the sheet from the feed plate l. This extension plate 7 thus forms a support to the front edge of the fed sheet 11 (shown in broken lines at Fig. 2), while by cutting the said plate 7 into angular projections 7X not only is provision made for the passage of the grippers as above described but the angular sides of the said projections enable the fed sheet 1l to be moved transversely up to or moved transversely by the side stop 6 for obtaining perfeet register without disturbing the flat position of the sheet. f

It will be seen that by providing the feed plate l with the extension plate 7 and using the ordinary smoothers 3 to prevent the fed sheet bending in an upward direction, even a thin sheet of paper can be eifectually controlled at its front edge without any tendency to bend or buckle; and further, that during the side movement of the sheet up toor by the side stop 6 the fed sheet 11 will be kept perfectly horizontal throughout such movement. l

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is l. In a gripper-fed platen printing machine; a feed plate formed with a thin front extension reaching approximately up to the feed gage, the front edge of ,such extension being serrated so as to present a series of shallow substantially V shaped projections to not only support the front edge of the fed sheet but to also allow the latter to be freely moved sidewise thereon and at the same time give a free passage for grippers when taking the sheet.

2. In a gripper-fed platen printing machine; the combination with the feed plate of a thin front extension plate reaching approximately up to the feed gage, the front edge of said extension plate being serrated so as to present a series of shallow substantially V shaped projections to not only support the front edge of the fed sheet but to also allow the latter to be freely moved sidewise thereon and lat the same time give a free passage for grippers when taking the sheet.

3. In a gripper-fed platen printing inachine; the combination with the feed plate of a thin front yextension plate removably fixed thereto and reachingV approximately up to the feed gage, the front edge of said extension plate being serrated so as to present a series of shallow substantially V shaped projections to not only support the front edge of the fed sheet but to also allow the latter to be freely moved sidewise thereon and at the same time give a free passage for grippers when taking the sheet.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

FRED WAITE.

lVitnesses ROBERT WHYTE, JOSEPH PHILLIPS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, i

' Washington, D. C, 

